Six locals win titles at Times-Gazette Junior Golf Championship
ASHLAND — At the conclusion of the first day of the Times-Gazette Junior Golf Championship, Brookside Golf Course Pro Shop manager Mick Briggs lauded the beneficial aspects the two-day tournament has for preparing the participants for the upcoming high school season.
Briggs was spot on.
The Division I group, which featured 17- and 18-year-old boys, came down to the wire on the final day of the annual tourney Thursday at the Ashland Golf Club.
Mapleton’s Nolan Dennison’s 30-foot birdie attempt on the 18th hole missed the cup by inches. His ensuing attempt at par was short, allowing Ashland’s Keslar Bates to squeak by with the narrowest of victories, 176-177.
It was as intense a final few holes as one can imagine and the perfect learning curve for the Mounties senior.
“I usually don’t like to count up my scores near the end,” said Dennison. “It can get in my head, but this time I had to. Coming into the last hole, I knew I was down by two strokes.”
After both missed the green to the left, Dennison nailed a perfect shot that wrapped around the trees to set up the birdie opportunity.
“[Bates] missed his birdie putt, and I missed mine by an inch, and then I missed my par putt,” said Dennison.
Dennison was willing to quickly put the day behind him and move forward.
“I can use this as a learning experience and help the younger kids on our team learn and how to deal with stuff under pressure,” he said. “This will be good moving forward for conference matches.”
Hunter Christian finished with a two-day total of 112 to claim the Division IV boys 12-and-under title.
“I was hitting my first and second shots very well,” said Christian on his final round. “My second shots were either on the green or right beside the green. My pitching wedge was good all day.”
Elleni Miller captured the Division VI girls 14-and-under title with a 113.
“My putting and chipping worked very well today,” said Miller of her final round of 58. “I do need to get back on the range and work on my driving.
“I’ve been working a lot on my putting, so that is definitely where I have gotten better. This was a lot of fun adjusting to the different green speeds from both courses. That was kind of a challenge, but once you are out there for long enough, you get used to it.”
Players in Divisions IV and VI only played nine holes each day.
Ashland’s Emma Packard won the Division V girls 15-18 championship with a two-day total of 175, good enough for a 24-shot victory.
“I actually didn’t think I had a great day,” said Packard. “Nothing went terribly wrong. I just had to continue to make good recoveries.”
Packard said she was happy about her growth in the game.
“It is really a privilege for me to now say that an 84 wasn’t my best,” she said. “That is something I wasn’t able to do last year, and I am hoping for much better this year.”
Easton Thomas was the Division II boys 15-16 winner with a 200, and Dalton Beattie shot a 171 to claim the Division III boys 13-14 crown.
Ashland Golf Club general manager Dennis North said the tournament is special for the local players.
“I think the city of Ashland is blessed with two wonderful superintendents of their golf courses,” he said. “For the history of all the great golfers that have come through this town and or those who have won this wonderful event in the past, this is a great opportunity for those playing to be a part of the rich history of this community.
“For a small community, we have had some amazing golfers come through. Just some wonderful, wonderful golfers.”
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Times-Gazette Junior Golf Championship crowns six champions
